The Blue Roof

I am amazed what I have learnt from my “dabbling in gambling”! I am really battling to bring some order to all the thoughts racing through my mind. I drive and I think “I must share this” and the under the shower I think “I must remember to share that.” To bring some order to my thoughts (I hope) I am not going to write about gambling today, but rather about something else that I have read yesterday.

 Just some background for all the non-South African readers. Since the 1994 election the ANC government implemented a policy of Affirmative Action. Basically an effort to bring more Black people into the main stream economy. In the process many white people lost their jobs to black people. I am not going into the long term effect of replacing somebody with 15-years experience with somebody with no experience. I can see the need for the policy and don’t have the solutions.

 This policy had two effects. I will start with the negative effect.

First, Black people who had to do their own business to earn a salary (and who were very creative in doing it), suddenly walked into high paying jobs. Literally going from just making ends meet and worse to a super income. But they did not have the money managing skills to handle that change. So many of them ended in a slavery to creditors.

 The second effect was that white people who were traditionally salary earners had to jump out and become entrepreneurs. Here two groups come to the fore. The first group are the complainers and whiners who cannot move ahead. They really suffer.

 The second group put their shoulder to the wheel and started their own businesses. And it is about this group that I want to talk. This is the group who perhaps is not making the same income that they did while working for a salary, and they face a lot of stress in the current recession. But the one stress they do not face, is retrenchment! And they are building something for themselves and their family.

 A lot can be said about small business and I do not think enough is being done to help and encourage small business. But I do believe that it is part of the solution for many of our problems.

 In an ideal world, I would do it like this:

I would encourage and help any person who WANTS to have his own business to get going WHILE he is earning a salary. That reduces the risk tremendously. Then I would offer help in terms of business knowledge. Any business needs 3 processes that run very well to succeed: manufacturing, sales and admin. We can subdivide and fine tune, but in general if you can do the above very well, you have a business!

 And we must learn from big business. Invariably a big business became big by exceeding at manufacturing, selling and admin! Why can we start-ups not learn from them? And we must, or perish! But a small business can do one thing that no-big business can do – offer the personal touch.

 You don’t have to go to university or college to learn about business! You have already learnt a lot at the company where you work. Think about manufacturing, selling and admin and how your employer does it? Do you think you can improve? Can you see any problems? Is there anything you think you could copy? When you shop somewhere, try to see how they do the 3 processes.

 And don’t forget the many network marketing companies out there, giving training and practical experience! Or you can click on the link to the right that says “Make extra money easily.” Naturally it is not without effort, but it does offer training and experience!

 And there are many types of businesses out their – just become aware. I know many people with very successful “part-time” businesses.

 Monday we are going to gamble!